A CRITICAL APPRAISAL OF NIGERIA’S ROLE OF IN MULTILATERAL PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS IN AFRICA

Abstract

The Nigeria’s role in the maintenance of peace and stability in the African continent is great due to its Afrocentric policy. Nigeria has taken part in a numerous peacekeeping and peace-making processes in the continent. In fact, the country’s good largesse has cut across the African continent and beyond where the Nigerian peacekeepers had made the country proud in their efforts abroad when returning peace and stability back to the conflicts zones. However, while Nigeria has been making series of sacrifices both length, breath, left, right and centre, committing huge resources (both human and material resources) towards its peace maintenance in the continents particularly the African region, its home / domestic has been faced with series of havocs. These domestic problems ranging from poverty, insecurity, unemployment, malnutrition, ethno-religious crises and many other more had drawn the attention of scholars on the needs for Nigeria to be more rational in its big brother roles in Africa. Apart from that, Nigeria’s big brother role in Africa has not been appreciated by the beneficiaries. Nigeria has often been paid back with ingratitude by some African countries to which it had been a benefactor. These formed parts of the gap to be filled in this study. This study therefore employs historical and descriptive methodologies through the use of secondary data to assess the burden shouldered by Nigeria in its course for peace.